Prescription Drugs and Weight Gain
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Why do Prescription Drugs Cause Weight Gain?
People who are taking prescription drugs or steroids, prescribed for a variety of health conditions and disorders, such as migraines, diabetes or depression, may encounter a particularly undesirable side-effect -- weight gain. Often dismissed as a symptom of the aging process (and the slowing of the metabolism), studies have shown that weight gain, gradual or sudden, can be spurred by certain prescription drugs.
Gaining weight can occur for a large variety of reasons, both physiological and environmental, therefore it can be difficult to pinpoint a drug as being a specific cause behind the gain; however, there are ways to properly ascertain whether the prescription drugs you’re taking are the culprit. One particularly effective method is to measure your food-intake and fitness habits by keeping a food diary. If you find that you are experiencing a rapid gain in weight within 30 days, while having assessed that you’ve been maintaining a proper diet and exercise routine, you may want to consult your doctor about the drug you’re taking, especially if you’ve been prescribed new drugs recently.
The symptoms behind an individual’s drug-induced weight gain will vary. Where one person may find themselves having unusual cravings for foods that they wouldn’t normally eat, another person may simply experience an increase in appetite, causing a person to put on as much as ten pounds within one month. Drugs that are known to cause weight gain are Zyprexa, Prednisone, Elavil, and Tofranil.
What Can I do About Weight Gain from Prescription Drugs?
Living a healthy and fit lifestyle is what most doctors would prescribe to counter prescription drug related weight gain. Cutting food calories and walking for as little as 30-40 minutes a day can be all that is necessary to treat the effect. While it is true that certain drugs have properties that can directly cause a person to gain weight, those who are inactive and do not follow a proper diet will suffer most from the additional side effect.
One must weigh the positive and negative effects of a drug before deciding to do away with it. If the weight gain causing drug improves a person’s functionality, and therefore provides a better overall quality of life, then perhaps the extra weight is a side effect worth tolerating. It is imperative that one consults with their doctor about prescription drugs and weight gain side effects before making any hasty or drastic decisions. There are alternative drugs that can be prescribed, which serve to treat the same condition, but may not have such heavy side effects. With a doctor’s aid, a person may even have the option to switch to a drug that leads to weight loss.
